This invention relates to a device for maintaining a stopped vehicle of any of various types in braked condition, which device permits the foot brake of the vehicle to be selectively locked in a fully depressed state to be assumed in consequence of the application of foot pressure. When the headlights of the moving vehicle are turned on as they would be at night, the device of this invention causes the headlights to be turned off in consequence of the locking of the foot brake after the vehicle has been stopped.
Various vehicles such as, for example, passenger cars and cargo trucks which are designed for travel on public roads normally make use of a foot brake as the means for stopping their motion. Whenever a vehicle is stopped even temporarily at an intersection to wait for a traffic signal to change or elsewhere on account of traffic congestion, for example, the vehicle is required in principle to retain the state of perfect motionlessness such as by application of a hand brake until the time of restart, so as to preclude the possibility of the vehicle gradually gathering momentum because of an inclination of the road surface at the place of stop or to protect the passengers of the vehicle from the shock of an accidental rearend collision by some other vehicle. In the first place, the operation of the hand brake is a troublesome chore. Particularly where the driver of the vehicle is compelled to stop the vehicle at frequent intervals such as when the vehicle is travelling in an urban district or when the vehicle is involved in traffic congestion, he is apt to find the frequent application of the hand brake quite troublesome. Thus, the driver more often than not acquires a habit of trying to keep the vehicle in the state of perfect stop by means of the foot brake even after the vehicle has come to a stop.
The restraining or arresting force which the foot brake exerts against the motion of wheels is undoubtedly stronger than that produced by the hand brake. In order for this force to be manifested fully, it is necessary that the pedal of the foot brake should be depressed with ample foot pressure. Since it is not very easy for any driver to keep the pedal depressed under such a powerful foot pressure throughout a stop of the vehicle, many a driver makes it a rule to lessen his foot pressure after his vehicle has come to a stop. In the case of a vehicle provided with an automatic transmission of the clutchless type, for example, the foot pressure applied is barely enough to keep the vehicle from moving by itself. In the case of a vehicle using an ordinary manually operated transmission, the foot pressure is totally released. In an extreme case, the driver simply rests his foot on the pedal of the foot brake, placing full reliance upon the levelness of the road surface at the place of a stop. Such scenes are not necessarily unfamiliar nowadays. Such being the case, there is no way of ensuring perfect safety of the vehicle during a stop. It is no exaggeration to say that the presence of such vehicles can be extremely dangerous to other vehicles stopped or passing nearby.
The inventor, taking notice of this dangerous state of affairs, already invented and disclosed a device which enables a foot brake to be locked in its fully depressed state by direct manual operation of a mechanical system. The foot brake thus kept in the locked state brings about the same effect as is obtained by having the foot brake depressed with sufficient foot pressure. Nevertheless, since in this locking device, the work of locking is accomplished by the movement of the driver's hand or arm in much the same way as in the case of the hand brake mentioned above, the locking itself can hardly be carried out simply by the movement of a finger tip.
With regard to the system of illuminating lamps, use of headlights is an indispensable requirement for the vehicle in motion at night. While the vehicle is kept at a stop, however, it is desirable to have the headlights turned off so as to give the battery a rest and help it to elongate its service life. From the standpoint of security, namely in the sense of taking precautions against the possibility of blinding drivers of oncoming vehicles while the vehicle is stopped at an intersection, for example, the headlights should be kept turned off during the period of stop.